NCIS Star Stuns With New Deal

There will be no other NCIS cast departures besides Michael Weatherly this year. I have learned that co-stars Pauley Perrette, Sean Murray, Rocky Carroll & David McCallum all have signed new two-year deals to continue on CBS’ flagship drama series, which returns for Season 14 in the fall.

Thirteen seasons in, NCIS continues to be broadcast TV’s most watched drama series. During the recently concluded 2015-16 season, it averaged 20.54 million viewers for first-run episodes (Live+7). Additionally, it has been a strong launching pad for CBS, helping establish NCIS: LA and NCIS: New Orleans, among other series.

Perrette, who plays the quirky Abby Sciuto, is one of three original cast members remaining on the show, alongside Harmon and McCallum, who plays Ducky Mallard. She is said to have landed a significant raise. Murray, who plays Timothy McGee, has been on NCIS since Episode 7 of Season 1, scoring a quick promotion to regular at the beginning of Season 2. Carroll, who plays Leon Vance, started as a recurring in Season 5, becoming a regular in Season 6.

The actress, 48, has starred on the series as quirky forensic scientist Abby Sciuto for its entire 15-year run, after introducing the character in JAG, from which NCIS was spun off.

The other cast members, Mark Harmon (Gibbs), Brian Dietzen (Jimmy), and Emily Wickersham (Ellie), were already signed on for the show’s upcoming 12th season. NCIS was renewed in March.

The news comes less than a year after longtime cast member Cote de Pablo abruptly decided to leave TV’s most-watched drama last summer. Her character, Ziva, was written off in the Oct. 1 episode and she was subsequently replaced by Wickersham, who joined the series this season as Ellie Bishop.

As for Abby Sciuto’s new deal, it is said to be upwards of six figures.